Beware of the harm done by hackers

The Gardaí have warned businesses to be vigilant due to reports from a number of banking customers who have fallen prey to frauds that involve various forms of information extraction from a person.

The Gardaí have warned businesses to be vigilant due to reports from a number of banking customers who have fallen prey to frauds that involve various forms of information extraction from a person.

The police say there are two main ways this is done. Using a phone fraud scam the fraudster uses an invented scenario to engage a targeted victim. During a phone call or series of calls, the perpetrators obtain enough information to take control of the victim’s bank account including full details of the online banking passwords following which fraudulent high value payments are made.

The gardaí also warn against criminals who hack into email accounts

The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation in conjunction with the Banking & Payments Federation of Ireland, offers the following advice to prevent these types of crimes.

• Always ensure your Anti-virus software is up to date and capable of scanning for malware, and all known virsuses, trojan horses etc.

• All inbound calls/e-mails that seek any kind of sensitive information or make payment instructions should be treated as potentially suspect. • Where a staff member receives payment instructions via e-mail, then enhanced checking procedures should be implemented at all time

• Ensure that all calls/e-mails from strangers (who are seeking potentially sensitive information) are handled with appropriate caution

The gardaí say anyone who has been the victim of fraud should reported it to their local Garda station.

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